John Kerry Must resign

To: Senator John Kerry

In the aftermath of exposure of prisoner abuses by American service members at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, John Kerry has called for the resignation of Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, stating "As president, I will not be the last to know what is going on in my command. I will demand accountability for those who serve, and I will take responsibility for their actions."

We, the undersigned, agree with John Kerry's demand for accountability for violations of the Geneva Convention rules of warfare. However, we believe that accountability and responsibility are integral characteristics of those we would choose to lead our great country, and should not be presented merely as additional campaign promises, exercised only in exchange for election to our country's highest office.

We, the undersigned, believe men should become leaders because they are accountable and responsible; we do NOT believe that men should become accountable and responsible because they are leaders.

Senator Kerry, you stated that, as Commander in Chief, you "will take responsibility for the bad as well as the good." We have stood by for months watching and listening as you have exploited the good in your military records: the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the three Purple Hearts, the four months spent in Vietnam. Senator Kerry, it is long past the time for you to take responsibility for the bad: for the war crimes you admitted having committed and participated in while serving in Vietnam, and for the discredit and disrespect you and your affiliates in Vietnam Veterans Against War brought upon your fellow service members.

We, the undersigned, hold John Kerry to his promise of accountability and responsibility; we demand that John Kerry acknowledge that, because of his own violations of the Geneva Convention, he is unfit to represent our great nation; we demand that John Kerry take responsibility for his actions and hold himself accountable by resigning his seat in the United States Senate; furthermore, we demand that John Kerry issue the long-overdue, public apology to his fellow Vietnam veterans for the accusations he wrongfully hurled at them in order to launch his political career.


Sincerely,

The Undersigned